Across the Nordic region, the NordMedia conferences serve as a central meeting place for scholars in media and communication studies – a forum for presenting research, exchanging ideas, and building networks. Yet there is another arena that merits equal attention: the annual meetings of the national research associations. Read on to find out how these gatherings complement the NordMedia conferences, contribute to researchers’ professional development, and prove especially valuable for early-career scholars.
For over fifty years, the NordMedia conference has been the central meeting point for media and communication researchers in the Nordic countries. Every other year since 1973, scholars from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have met to showcase findings, debate, and network. For many young academics, NordMedia is often the first major stage on which they present their work to a Nordic audience. It offers scale and visibility across the region.
Yet NordMedia is not the only arena of importance. Equally significant are the annual meetings of the national media and communication research associations – Association for Media and Communication Researchers in Denmark (SMiD), Norsk medieforskerlag in Norway, The Finnish Association for Media and Communication Studies (Mevi), and The Swedish FSMK– held in the years between NordMedia conferences. These communities form the backbone of the discipline in their respective countries. And for younger researchers, active participation in both NordMedia and the national meetings is not merely beneficial but essential to their academic development.
The two arenas serve different purposes. NordMedia provides a transregional stage where hundreds of researchers meet, while the national associations offer a more intimate setting. In the smaller framework of national meetings, early-career scholars often find it easier to build connections, receive detailed feedback on their work, and engage in meaningful dialogue with senior colleagues. At the same time, they strengthen their sense of belonging to the scholarly community of the country in which they are based.
Career-building opportunities are another important dimension of the national gatherings. They are the venues where editorial boards are renewed, research agendas are set, and committees for grants or awards are formed. For young researchers, taking part in these is a way of making their work – and themselves – visible to peers and senior collegues who may later become collaborators, mentors, or project partners.
As Martina Skrubbeltrang Mahnke, chair of the Danish SMiD, observes, many collaborations that surface at, for example, NordMedia conference began with conversations at smaller national gatherings. In 2026, the Danish association celebrates its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a conference titled From Print to Prompt will be held at Roskilde University. The organisers warmly invite participation and contributions. The official call for papers will be announced in November 2025 on the SMiD and NordMedia Network websites.
National associations are also key arenas for shaping the direction of the discipline. Veera Ehrlén, chair of the Finnish Mevi, emphasises that while NordMedia creates valuable cross-border connections, it is within national meetings that researchers can explore issues unique to their own contexts. In Finland, the national conference titled Juuret – Rötter – Roots will be held at the University of Vaasa in May 2026.
– By attending and actively participating, young researchers in particular gain the chance to build connections with leading national experts in their specific fields. All participants also benefit from the presence of the national media and communication associations that organise the conferences and publish national journals, allowing them to learn what resources these associations offer researchers and to get to know the people behind them, Ehrlén notes.
The Norwegian experience demonstrates that established scholars, too, benefit greatly from these gatherings.The annual conferences of Norsk medieforskerlag attracts hundreds of participants and provide a lively forum for dialogue and collaboration. Erik Knudsen, a frequent attendee, reflects on the significance of these meetings:
– For me, the value of these conferences lies in the time and energy dedicated to each paper. Unlike large international conferences, where we often present nearly finished work, the divisions in the biennial Norwegian conference provide a smaller forum for us to get to know each other and to discuss and exchange feedback on works in progress.
Interested in learning more and contributing to the vitality of your national research community? Visit the websites of the associations to explore their activities, discover the journals they publish, and engage with their recent initiatives:
Association for Media and Communication Researchers in Denmark (SMiD)
Norsk medieforskerlag in Norway